Jun 28, 2011

Workday Routine: Time vs. Tasks

I've recently taken a leave of absence from my day job and have been focusing on my writing and editing full time.

Over the last couple of weeks, I've learned a few things about myself. First, I am much more productive if I get a half hour power nap after lunch.

Second, the human body was never meant to sit and type for eight hours.

And third, I've learned that I'm a "task person" rather than a "time person."

Some freelancers do very well with schedules. They can mark in their datebooks (or the electronic equivalents thereof) that they will write from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM, and by the time noon rolls around, they'll have accomplished an exceptional amount of work.

I'm not that kind of writer. If you sit me down in front of a blank screen for four hours, when the time is up, I'll still be staring at a blank screen.

That's because I'm task-focused. I thrive on "to do" lists--in fact, I'm lost without them. When I sit down for a work session, I don't need to know how long I'm going to be there; I need a plan of action.

Write three articles for Client A

Proofread two chapters of Client B's manuscript

Write two blog posts for Clients C & D

Outline the next chapter in my e-book

At the end of each writing day, I make a list of what I want to accomplish the next day, knowing very well that things may go haywire and I'll have to add to or subtract from the list as circumstances change.

Reasonable To Do Lists

I make it a point to keep my lists to a a reasonable length, because I've found that staring at a 50-item to do list paralyzes me just as quickly as staring at a ticking clock.

My daily list usually has about five to ten items on it, depending how quickly I think I can complete each task. How long a list has to be before it becomes overwhelming is up to the individual writer. I've known some freelancers who could multitask 25 item lists and some who started to hyperventilate if their list grew beyond three items.

The Secret of the Second List

I've actually gotten into the habit of keeping two lists. One is my daily list, which I keep on the wall beside my computer to make sure I stay on task. The other list, which I keep hidden under my pile of active folders is my "want to do" list.

Often, when I'm working on a project, I'll get sidetracked by a seemingly brilliant idea. (Then again, if I'm doing something boring, dressing the cat in doll clothes can seem like a brilliant--though lethal--idea.) Anyway, those ideas used to take control of my mind and run away with my whole day, often putting me behind schedule.

No more. Now, those brilliant ideas go directly to the "want to do" list. I won't forget them because I've written them down, but I won't let them distract me from what needs to be done in the moment, either.

Every evening when I write my to do list for the next day, I try to include at least one item from the "want to do" list. That way, my creative side doesn't feel neglected. Nor, for that matter, does the side that likes to eat three meals a day.

.......

One of my best friends just called. She has two hours left in her writing day, and then she wants me to go to a movie with her. I checked my to do list and saw that I had three items left to go.

"Tell you what," I said. "Call me when you finish up, and I'll see how much I have left to do."

"You and your lists," she laughed at me good-naturedly. I laughed, too. My lists may seem a little weird in a world that is ruled by the almighty time clock, but they work just fine for me.

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Current/Recent Reads

Hilary Mantel: Wolf HallAn amazing tale of Tudor England. I would give this book more than five stars if I could. (*****)

Nancy Rae: A MATTER OF TIMEI REALLY wanted to like this book, but in the end it just didn't work for me. The main character remains a victim of fate from start to finish - I never had the sense that he was taking control of his own destiny. (**)